Strickland Spanked

Maltese Catholics were amazed last week that Baron Strickland of Sizergh Castle is still Premier of Malta, amazed and expectant that King George would at once remove Lord Strickland.

Two years ago the Maltese Question boiled up so hot that it took in effect the form: Will Maltese obey the King-Emperor's Premier in Malta or will they obey the Maltese clergy? Secession from the Empire was openly talked by Maltese zealots who talked of joining the Papal State.

Last week a British Royal Commission headed by Lord Askwith (not Asquith) released in London a report which absolved the Maltese clergy, then administered a stinging, personal rebuke to Lord Strickland, whose mother was a Maltese and bore him in Malta,

Firstly the Royal Commission scored Lord Strickland's quarrels with the Maltese clergy as based originally on "trivial grounds." Secondly the Premier was stated to have used his powers of office as "a dominating and aggressive force, with a manner calculated to cause irritation and annoyance." Finally the Royal Commission said that Lord Strickland had committed an act almost smacking of treason to the Realm. Sent by his King-Emperor to guide and govern an excitable Latin race "extremely loyal to Great Britain" (according to the Royal Commission) he instead divided the Maltese "into very embittered cliques" and deliberately aroused "personal animosities."

George V and Premier MacDonald gave no sign last week as to what, if anything, they propose to do about Lord Strickland and Malta which, in 1930, became so incensed against Strickland that its Constitution was suspended and its Legislature dissolved by Imperial fiat.

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